Title page for ETD etd-07292008-012620

Capturing the Chimera: Ideology and Persuasion in the Rhetoric of Soulforce

Degree

Master of Arts

Department

Communication Studies

Advisory Committee

Advisor Name

Title

Waggenspack, Beth M.

Committee Chair

Sewell, Edward H. Jr.

Committee Member

Tedesco, John C.

Committee Member

Keywords

Gay Rights

Social Movements

Religious Right

Mel White

Soulforce

Christianity

Rhetoric

Ideology

Ideograph

Date of Defense

2008-05-08

Availability

unrestricted

Abstract

Capturing the Chimera: Ideology and Persuasion in the Rhetoric of Soulforce

Matthew Todd Null

(ABSTRACT)

For more than half a century, gay rights organizations have sought cultural and political equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals in society. The organization Soulforce continues that legacy, but from a distinctive perspective. Soulforce, has positioned itself in a unique playing field by speaking directly to religious leaders and organizations in attempt to alter their ideological underpinnings and subsequently garner their support for LGBT individuals. This level of persuasion is particularly difficult due to the fact that religious ideology is so strongly held and protected in American society.

To evaluate the persuasive rhetoric of Soulforce, I conducted an ideological criticism of the documents published within the Soulforce website based on the foundation of McGee’s ideograph. The ideographs presented throughout the discourse coalesce to form the overarching ideology of Soulforce evidenced in the discourse. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals experience unwarranted <suffering>, <injustice> and <discrimination> as a direct result of the <untruth> promoted by the religious institutions of America. This <untruth> is the consequence of Biblical misinterpretation coupled with the misunderstanding of modern scientific research resulting in fear and hate that subsequently cultivate <violence> and <suffering>. Only by directly confronting <untruth> with <truth> and exchanging <suffering> with <voluntary suffering> can the LGBT community educate the misinformed thereby delivering their own <justice>, <equality> and full acceptance within society.